May Column

The outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus has not only hurt the health and safety of our city, but has been devastating to our city’s fiscal health. The City has committed to maintaining the LAPD, LAFP, Sanitation Services, DWP and other critical services. However, the budget contains major cuts to services such as trees, sidewalk repair, and graffiti removal. Your Homeowners Association is committed to maintaining our tree canopy, to removing graffiti and working with the city on a solution for sidewalk repairs. Since tree maintenance and graffiti removal services will most likely not be paid for by the City, the Association will use your dues money to make up the difference. In difficult times like this your dues will help keep Hancock Park free of graffiti, maintain our beautiful urban forest and many other benefits. So, if you haven’t already, please pay your dues.

While the City has committed to maintaining the physical security of Los Angeles, by supporting the LAPD and LAFD, this crisis puts a great strain on these services. If you don’t have a private security service please consider obtaining one. These services augment the public services and release resources for those parts of the city suffering even greater crime.

Don’t forget to maintain the social distancing guidelines, wash your hands, don’t touch your face and check with your neighbors to be sure they are OK. For more information please visit our website: hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/page-18054/8843518.

If you’re planning to make any changes to the street-visible portion of your house, including hardscaping and windows, check with our HPOZ Planner Suki Gershenhorn (suki.gershenhorn@lacity.org)before starting. The HPOZ Preservation Plan, which regulates our HPOZ, can be found at preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/hancock-park.There is also an online form you can fill out to help speed up the process — the Initial Screening Checklist (preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist).Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System:laocb.org/programs/graffiti-abatement and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180.